Booting LM 13 and XP in dual boot?

[Absolutis]

Linux Mint 13 with windows XP, I want to use GRUB as the bootmanager. I haven't done anything yet. Linux installed first, and would prefer to keep the same installation.

EDIT: If it would be easier, I could also use some other boot manager like EasyBCD or smth

[oobetimer]

Linux Mint 13 with windows XP, I want to use GRUB as the bootmanager. I haven't done anything yet. Linux installed first, and would prefer to keep the same installation.

EDIT: If it would be easier, I could also use some other boot manager like EasyBCD or smth

EasyBCD does not work in XP, but you can boot mint by ediding XP´s boot.ini file

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz_BKk-mKts&feature=plcp

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... ni#p595336

Basically you can restore grub via liveCD. An example:
sudo blkid # tells the media
sudo mount /dev/sdxy /mnt # where x=HD and y=partition
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdx # where x=HD
sudo umount /mnt

PS. Make partitions for XP using linux programs like GParted, because windows can mess a partition table, because it does not understand linux swap partition.

[kc1di]

Greetings Absolutis & welcome to Mint,

It is always better if you are to dual boot to install the window OS first then Mint (or Linux) then grub would be able to find windows and add it to the boot menu
for you. but you can do it the other way also. before installing window xp go here and download a copy of boot-repair.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
after you install windows run it and it should re-install Grub for you.
When you install windows xp it will automatically install it's boot loader to the mbr and erase mint's grub bootloader.
follow the instruction on boot repair and you should be good to go.

[Tumbleweed_Biff]

obetimer, (or anyone else)
in your lines:
sudo mount /dev/sdxy /mnt # where x=HD and y=partition
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdx # where x=HD

Which partition does 'y' reference?
And "boot-directory"?

I have
sda1 - ntfs (windows xp install)
sda2 - extended
sda5 - installed as "\" during Mint install
sda6 - \usr

sdb - 2 separate swapfile partitions, one for windows, one for linux, and a data backup partition.

FYI: I have tried boot-repair, it kept telling me grub was still installed when the it had been removed - at least all the grub directories I could find ...

[oobetimer]

Which partition does 'y' reference?
And "boot-directory"?

y = partition e.g sda5
boot-directory = boot folder or partition